Molokai: The Story of Father Damien

Time Out says

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Users say
(2)

5 out of 5 stars

Time Out says

Quite engrossing and often moving, this impressively mounted historical drama (from the book by Hilde Eynikel) is set in the late-Victorian era. It tells the story of a missionary from Flanders, Father Damien, who dedicated his life to the dying lepers on the colony of Kaluapapa on the Sandwich (now Hawaiian) island of Molokai - 'a place of terror and death,' as Leo McKern's bishop correctly calls it. The starry cast, including Kris Kristofferson as a rancher/admirer, are impressive, but Wenham's Roman Catholic priest is excellent, downplaying the man's awe-inspiring self-sacrifice, tenacity, courage and humanity. Director Cox plays it admirably straight, mostly, allowing the stark oppositions (beauty/ugliness, sacrifice/self-seeking, etc) to speak for themselves, only weakening in the occasional use of emotive music.

Users say
(2)

The movie is everything timout.com portends. The movie isn't interestingly slow. The obstacles father Damien had to overcome dictated the ebb and flow of the movie. If you wanted plain action this is not for you. The individual performances are all strong. And together they make for a very somber and haunting movie. Years earlier I had the fortune to visit Kalaupapa (where the people w/leprosy were sent) and like the movie it is a spiritual and intense experience.

The movie is everything timout.com portends. The movie isn't interestingly slow. The obstacles father Damien had to overcome dictated the ebb and flow of the movie. If you wanted plain action this is not for you. The individual performances are all strong. And together they make for a very somber and haunting movie. Years earlier I had the fortune to visit Kalaupapa (where the people w/leprosy were sent) and like the movie it is a spiritual and intense experience.